Injuries could help Eade keep job, says Frawley

THE injuries that have cruelled Rodney Eade’s tenure at the Suns could also prove his saviour, according to former Richmond coach Danny Frawley.

With Gold Coast destined for a seventh AFL season devoid of finals, the ongoing club review of football operations has cast an even darker shadow over the fledgling franchise.

In a case of history repeating, the injury-shackled Suns face in-form Richmond on Saturday not sure which of their personalities will show up.

Languishing 15th (6-11), Gold Coast have been the definition of a mixed bag in 2017, largely due to an almost comedic casualty ward.

Frawley, who coached the Tigers from 2000-2004, described the Suns as “Jekyll and Hyde” – which may ultimately help keep Eade in a job.

“He’s rarely had a full team, whether that’s through bad luck or not,” he said.

“It’s hard to get a gauge on where they’re at because of the injuries and the form has been up and down because of that.

“Being a former coach very rarely do you get your best team but he’s not even been close. They go OK but then Steven May does his hamstring and you’d go blue in the face talking about how good (Gary) Ablett is.”

Frawley urged club chief executive Mark Evans to ensure the footballing review is holistic.

“You have to take in the whole body of work,” he said.

“It’s a hard one to quantify and it’s hard to know (how good of a job Eade has done).

“But they’ve got a very good operator in Mark Evans.”

Despite Richmond’s mauling of GWS and lofty ladder position, Frawley tips the Suns’ unlikely band to push the finals-bound Tigers.

“They’re a hard team to tip but then they’re a hard team for rivals to get a gauge on,” he said. “In a weird way (their inconsistency) makes them hard to play against.”